Whoa, Whoa, Yea, Yea

It's the debut of Mr. Leo Sayer in The Excellent 80's today.  Leo is best known for his two #1 singles, both of which were in 1977 - "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" and "When I Need You."  Love the pink jacket Leo!  Here is his 1980 hit that stalled at #2.  It's his version of a 1960 song called "More Than I Can Say"...




Lyrics | Leo Sayer lyrics - More Than I Can Say lyrics

"More Than I Can Say"
Single by Leo Sayer
from the album Living in a Fantasy
B-side	"Only Fooling"
Released	1980
Format	7" (45 rpm)
Genre	Pop, soft rock, adult contemporary
Length	3:34
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Sonny Curtis, Jerry Allison
Producer	Alan Tarney

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #2

80's Movie Weekend

Winner of four Academy Awards, let's take a look back a popular film from 1983 with an all-star cast that featured among others Dennis Quaid, Ed Harris, Scott Glenn, Sam Shepard, and Barbara Hershey.  Here is "The Right Stuff."

the trailer...

The Right Stuff
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Philip Kaufman
Produced by	Irwin Winkler
Written by	Philip Kaufman
Based on	The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
Narrated by	Levon Helm
Starring	Fred Ward Dennis Quaid Ed Harris Scott Glenn Sam Shepard Barbara Hershey Lance Henriksen Veronica Cartwright Jane Dornacker Harry Shearer Jeff Goldblum Kim Stanley
Music by	Bill Conti
Cinematography	Caleb Deschanel
Editing by	Glenn Farr Lisa Fruchtman Stephen A. Rotter Douglas Stewart Tom Rolf
Studio	The Ladd Company
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date(s)	October 21, 1983
Running time	193 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$27,000,000 (Estimated)
Box office	$21,192,102 (USA)[1]

I'm Gonna Beg, Steal, or Borrow

Celebrating the 35th anniversary of their outstanding "Rumors" album, Fleetwood Mac will be taking to the road beginning in April on a 34 city tour, and I'm pretty excited by that.  My only problem is that for the exorbitant ticket prices, and I'm sure they will be high, I want the WHOLE group back together.  The casual fan often overlooks the lyrical and singing contributions of Christine McVie who sings lead on many of the groups greatest songs.  Without her, it'd be like going to see The Eagles without Joe Walsh or Timothy B. Schmit.  It'll still be damn good, but something will be missing.  Anyway, with that rant out of the way, here is one of the group's lesser hits from 1988 - "As Long As You Follow"...




Lyrics | Fleetwood Mac lyrics - As Long As You Follow lyrics

"As Long as You Follow"
Single by Fleetwood Mac
from the album Greatest Hits
B-side	"Oh Well" (live) "Gold Dust Woman"
Released	November 1988
Format	7", 12", cassingle, CD single
Genre	Adult contemporary, country pop
Length	4:05
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Christine McVie, Eddy Quintela
Producer	Greg Ladanyi

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #43
U.S. Adult Contemporary peak:  #1

Hate New York City, It's Cold and It's Damp

It's a Randy Newman siting!  Winner of three Emmy's and five Grammy's, here he is celebrating the American dream while cruising around in a vintage convertible with a hot red-head sporting some sweet 80's blue Guess pants (don't even pretend you don't recognize the Guess symbol on her back pocket!).  Mr. Randy Newman takes us for a trip around the great city of Los Angeles while extras everywhere scream "We love it!"  From 1983, here is the video for "I Love L.A."...




Lyrics | Randy Newman lyrics - I Love L.A. lyrics

"I Love L.A."

by Randy Newman
from the album:  "Trouble in Paradise"
released:  1983

Tommy Used to Work on the Docks

It's just because I felt like some Bon Jovi today.  Is that so wrong?




Lyrics | Bon Jovi lyrics - Livin' On A Prayer lyrics

"Livin' on a Prayer"
Single by Bon Jovi
from the album Slippery When Wet
B-side	"Wild in the Streets"/"Edge of a Broken Heart"
Released	31 October 1986
Format	7", 12", CD Single
Recorded	1986
Genre	Hard rock, glam metal
Length	4:12
Label	Mercury Records
Writer(s)	Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora andDesmond Child
Producer	Bruce Fairbairn

U.S. Billboard hot 100 peak:  #1

All the Lonely Nights I Spend Alone

This was a little bit of a departure at the time for Ms. Jackson at the time when this single was released in 1990 off of her 1989 blockbuster album "Rhythm Nation 1814."  Personally, I loved the addition of a hard driving lead guitar played by Jellybean Johnson, and this concert video of the song was one of my favorites of hers.  Here is Janet Jackson with a song she penned herself - "Black Cat"...




Lyrics | Janet Jackson lyrics - Black Cat lyrics

"Black Cat"
U.S. 12" single and U.S. promo CD single cover
Single by Janet Jackson
from the album Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814
B-side	"The 1814 Megamix"
Released	August 28, 1990
Format	7" single, 12" single, CD single,cassette single
Recorded	May 1989; Flyte Tyme Studios (Minneapolis, Minnesota)
Genre	Hard rock
Length	4:50
Label	A&M
Writer(s)	Janet Jackson
Producer	Janet Jackson, Jellybean Johnson
Certification	Gold (RIAA)

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #1

Don't You Feel Like Trying Something New

All I know is that Joe Jackson looks very creepy in this video of a love nearly getting on the train and leaving for good.  The video looks very English and that might be because the five-time Grammy award winner Joe Jackson hails from the UK.  Here is his top 20 hit from 1983 - "Breaking Us in Two"...




Lyrics | Joe Jackson lyrics - Breaking Us In Two lyrics

"Breaking Us in Two"

by Joe Jackson
from the album:  Night and Day
released:  1982

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #18
UK peak:  #59

80's Movie Weekend

Way back in 1989 Daniel Day-Lewis was considered a great actor and only enhanced his reputation with the weekend's flashback movie.  Here we are in 2013 and the dude is still killing it on projects like "Lincoln."  This is the first movie though that I really remember Day-Lewis from probably because he won his first Academy Award for his portrayal of Christy Brown, and Irishman born with cerebral palsy.  I think you can watch all of this movie on Youtube.  Anyway, here is the trailer for "My Left Foot"...

My Left Foot
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Jim Sheridan
Produced by	Noel Pearson
Screenplay by	Jim Sheridan Shane Connaughton
Based on	My Left Foot by Christy Brown
Starring	Daniel Day-Lewis Ray McAnally Brenda Fricker Fiona Shaw Hugh O'Conor
Music by	Elmer Bernstein
Cinematography	Jack Conroy
Editing by	J. Patrick Duffner
Distributed by	Granada Films (UK) Miramax Films
Release date(s)	10 November 1989
Running time	103 minutes
Country	Ireland
Language	English
Budget	£600,000
Box office	$14,743,391[1]

I May Never Give You Flowers

As I started watching today's video I was trying to figure out why Debbie Gibson looked like a dude.  Then, it hit me - it's not Debbie Gibson!  It is some dude... some dude with a terrible 80's song!  He shifts effortlessly from the Debbie Gibson look to the George Michael look (only without the shades and the cool stubble).  The sound of the song reminds me of a poor Rick Astley song, and the video is horrendous.  You may have never heard of Jason Donovan, but he was a big star in Australia, and this song made it to #2 on the UK charts back in 1989.  Here is "Every Day (I Love You More)"...




Lyrics | Jason Donovan lyrics - Every Day (I Love You More) lyrics

"Every Day (I Love You More)"
Single by Jason Donovan
from the album Ten Good Reasons
B-side	"I Guess She Never Loved Me"
Released	1989
Format	CD maxi, 7" single
Genre	Synthpop
Length	3:24
Label	PWL
Writer(s)	Stock Aitken Waterman
Producer	Stock Aitken Waterman

UK singles peak:  #2
Australian singles:  #43

You've Gotta Be

Today's video is from a song released in 1979, but the video was one of the first ones on MTV.  The video is of English singer, songwriter, and musician Nick Lowe with his only U.S. Top  40 hit.  Here is the funny little video of a re-enactment of Lowe's marriage to American country singer, songwriter, and daughter of June Carter - Carlene Carter.  Here is the video for Nick Lowe and "Cruel to Be Kind"...




Lyrics | Nick Lowe lyrics - Cruel To Be Kind lyrics

"Cruel to Be Kind"
Single by Nick Lowe
from the album Labour of Lust
B-side	"Endless Grey Ribbon"
Released	July 1979
Format	7-inch single
Genre	Power pop
Length	3:31
Label	Radar
Writer(s)	Nick Lowe, Ian Gomm
Producer	Nick Lowe

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #12
UK peak:  #12

Can you believe this is Nick Lowe and he's 63!

They Cry in the Dark

Back in 2009 we featured a Pat Benatar November bringing you some of the best from Pat Benatar.  Today's song and video from 1981 is not great video quality, but it's a live version of Pat and her band with a song from her 5x platinum album "Crimes of Passion."  Here she is with "Hell is For Children"...




Lyrics | Pat Benatar lyrics - Hell Is For Children lyrics

"Hell is For Children"

by Pat Benatar
from the album:  Crimes of Passion
released:  1980

All Is Quiet on New Year's Day

Happy New Year's and welcome to 2013!

I love Bono's awesome hair in this in studio version of their very fitting video for today, and their first hit single in the UK.  Here is "New Year's Day"...




Lyrics | U2 lyrics - New Year's Day lyrics

"New Year's Day"
UK cover (double 7" vinyl)
Single by U2
from the album War
Released	1 January 1983
Format	7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, CD
Recorded	1982, Windmill Lane Studios, Dublin
Genre	Rock, post-punk
Length	5:36 (album version) 3:40 (edit)
Label	Island
Producer	Steve Lillywhite

U.S. Billboard Hot 100 peak:  #53
UK peak:  #10